Transfer fees paid by Manchester United and Manchester City are 'on the edge of madness' - Thiago Silva

Crazy: Silva has questioned the transfer business conducted by the Premier League's elite

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has claimed that the transfer fees paid by both Manchester clubs this summer are bordering on 'the edge of madness'.

The Premier League's elite, aside from Arsenal, flexed their financial muscle in the wake of a lucrative new broadcasting deal during the summer transfer window.

Louis van Gaal deemed Monaco striker Anthony Martial worthy of a £36m fee, despite the 19-year-old's lack of experience at the top level, while Manuel Pellegrini broke City's transfer record on two occasions.

Raheem Sterling's £49m move from Liverpool made the Englishman the first player to surpass the fee that the Citizens paid Atletico Madrid for Sergio Aguero four years ago.

However, Kevin De Bruyne's arrival from Wolfsburg soon set a new record of £55m only a matter of weeks after it had been claimed by Sterling.

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The mid table teams in England's top tier have also been able to carry more clout in the transfer market but Silva is concerned by the spending that has been sanctioned in Manchester.

"Are the fees too much? On the edge of madness," said the Brazilian.

However, the central defender was full of praise for Martial, whose move to Old Trafford made him one of the world's most expensive teenagers: "I don’t know whether it is right or not but Martial really reminds me of Thierry Henry for his technique, physique and reading of the game."

The world's 10 most expensive teenagers

The world's 10 most expensive teenagers

1/10
10. Sergio Aguero (19) Independente to Atletico Madrid £16m

A man that proved to be worth his salt at the Vicente Calderon. Were it not for troublesome hamstrings, the Argentina international would probably be known as the undisputed best centre forward in the world.

2/10
9. Sergio Ramos (19) Sevilla to Real Madrid £18.9m

The Spanish defender enjoyed a superb breakthrough season with Sevilla in 2004 and Real Madrid snapped up his services ahead of a long list of suitors soon after. The defender has established himself as a piece of the furniture at the Bernabeu and recently signed a contract extension in the Spanish capital earlier in the summer, despite interest from Manchester United.

3/10
8. Antonio Cassano (19) Bari to Roma for £20m

The Italian striker is often described as a maverick. Cassano rarely does thing by the book and his early promise at Bari convinced Roma that he was worth a substantial transfer fee. He signed for Real Madrid just two years later and has embarked on a somewaht nomadic - and problematic - career since he left the Bernabeu in 2008.

4/10
7. Anderson (19) Porto to Manchester United for £22m

A tale of what might have been. The Brazilian arrived alongside Nani at Old Trafford billed as one of the most exciting talents in world football, but struggled to display his best form in England. Sir Alex Ferguson tweaked the midfielder's position but the eye-catching displays that had defined Anderson's spell at Porto vanished amid weight problems.

5/10
6. Marquinhos (19) Roma to PSG for £22m

The French giants sent out a message of intent when they signed the Brazilian defender from Roma in 2013. Although PSG's star studded recruitment drive had primarily focused on attacking players they proved that they were not afraid to get the cheque book out for defenders either. The move saw Roma net a huge profit on the £3.9m they had paid Corinthians for the centre back just a year earlier.

6/10
5. Javier Saviola (19) River Plate to Barcelona for £25m

The Argentine's moved to the Camp Nou after he had scored 11 goals to help his nation claim the World Youth Championship in 2001. Despite such early promise he did not fulfill his vast potential at the Catalan club. He joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2007 and has gone on to represent a host of European clubs. Currently at River Plate.

7/10
4. Wayne Rooney (18) Everton to Manchester United for £26m

Worth the money every day of the week. Rooney reneged on his promise to remain a Blue and has gone on to become an integral member of the Red Devils' side for the last decade. The United skipper is closing in on the club's goalscoring record but his role at the club has been questioned after a poor start to the season.

8/10
3. Luke Shaw (18) Southampton to Manchester United for £31.5m

The England international joined United from Southampton days after the Three Lions were sent packing from the 2014 World Cup. The left back had done extremely well just to get a place on the plane, even if it did return earlier than planned, but endured a difficult debut season at United due to injury.

9/10
2. Anthony Martial (19) Monaco to Manchester United for £36m

The latest entrant on our list will have a huge weight of expectation placed on his shoulders at Old Trafford. Although the 19-year-old is expected to be given time to blossom, questions will start to be asked if he does not show early signs that he is worth such a hefty price tag.

10/10
1. Lucas Moura (19) - Sao Paulo to PSG for £44m

The Brazilian midfielder became the most expensive teenager in history when he joined the Ligue 1 club from Sao Paulo in the summer of 2012. The youngster stayed in his homeland for a further six months before heading to the Parc des Princes and signed a contract extension at the club earlier this summer.

Although PSG, who also spend extravagantly on players by virtue of their Qatari owners, face fierce competition from elsewhere across the continent Silva is confident that the club can go all the way in the Champions League this year.

"For the Champions League I reckon it can be our year. And then Real, Barca, Bayern but also keep an eye on City and United, against whom I always lost when I was at Milan."